Canadian golfer Brooke Henderson is coming off a breakthrough rookie season. She’s hoping to build off it as she aims for bigger things in 2016 and beyond.

“I’m looking to get a few more wins on the LPGA Tour and hopefully a major championship within the next couple of years,” Henderson said. “I know that requires a lot of hard work and improvement on my behalf and a solid week (at each event). But I know it’s possible and I’m just looking forward to getting the chance to do it.”

Henderson will begin her season this week at the Pure Silk Bahamas LPGA Classic. The US$1.4-million tournament begins Thursday at the Ocean Club Golf Course on Paradise Island.

As a 17-year-old without full-time status, Henderson had an unpredictable first half of the season last year. She often had to rely on sponsor exemptions and qualification rounds to enter tournaments.

Things changed last August when she blew away the field at the Cambia Portland Classic to win her first LPGA Tour event by eight strokes. Henderson was immediately given full Tour membership and can now play a full schedule without the hassle of chaotic travel plans and the grind of qualifiers.

“I want to go out and make a good name for myself and see if I can make a long career out of it,” Henderson said in a recent interview.

After spending the holiday season in her hometown of Smiths Falls, Ont., Henderson has spent the last few weeks preparing for the season at the Indigo Lakes Golf Club in Daytona Beach, Fla.

Henderson rocketed over 200 spots in the world rankings last year before settling at the No. 18 position. She’s hoping improvements to her short game will help get her into the top 10.

“I want to make sure that around the green I’m very consistent,” she said. “Especially against the top (players) in the world. They’re so good. Over the last couple of years, I’ve noticed that if I could improve a little bit, it’s definitely around the green. So I’ve been working hard on that and just getting my mental game up to where it should be.”

Canadian women’s national team coach Tristan Mullally has worked with Henderson over the last four years. He thinks one of her strongest assets is that she’s not limited to one particular style – she can remain consistent regardless of the course.

“More variety of shots. She is powerful. She’s not one of the longest hitters in the game but she’s consistently in the right place in the fairways,” he said. “Her overall length compared to the others is probably very close to the top 25 or 30 in terms of length. But she’s higher (with her) accuracy.”

Henderson is also a virtual lock to represent Canada when golf makes its return to the Olympic program at the Summer Games in August.

“Rio is definitely one that really stands out,” Henderson said of the tournaments this season. “Being able to play in the Olympics and represent your country is an unbelievable experience that I’m really excited for. Along with that, there are five other majors on the LPGA Tour, which definitely stand out and are weeks when I want a peak performance.”

Some of Henderson’s best results have come at major events. She finished tied for fifth at both the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship and the U.S. Women’s Open last year.

“After the season I had last year, I know anything is possible,” she said. “Like I said there’s a lot of hard work that still needs to be done and little improvements. But it’s exciting to be in the position that I am … I’ve been given a gift and I want to make the most of it.”

Depending on how things work out, she could play in over 30 events this season.

“I think it’s a pretty remarkable story,” Mullally said. “And this year because she’s going to be able to plan her schedule, because there is a more consistent way to go about things, her preparation will just be better.”

Sei Young Kim of South Korea is the defending champion at this week’s Tour stop. Henderson finished in a tie for 33rd place last year.

Richmond Hill, Ont. — A new year may be just beginning, but it’s not too early to look forward to the upcoming Olympic Games. The Games begin in August, but BMW Group Canada took advantage of the kick-off to 2016 as a means to introduce Team BMW, a group of six high-performance Canadian athletes aiming to compete at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.  Support for Team BMW athletes will be on various levels in an extension of the company’s role as National Partner and Official Vehicle of the Canadian Olympic Team.

Passionate about performance and driven to succeed, Team BMW brings the BMW spirit to life.  This group of athletes represents the essence of the BMW Group in human form: efficient performance, innovation, power and grace.  BMW Group Canada is proud to support each of these athletes on their road to success.

BMW Group Canada announced its partnership with the Canadian Olympic Team in January of 2013. As National Partner and Official Vehicle of the Canadian Olympic Team, the company and its retailers have since provided athlete support and generated funds that go towards specialized programs, sports medicine, coaching and travel, among other items. This Olympic year will see those efforts continue, with Team BMW being only the beginning.

Team BMW consists of the following athletes:

• Roseline Filion, 10m Synchronized Diving: Roseline and diving partner Meaghan Benfeito have been one of the best 10m teams in the world since 2005. Reaching Rio would be Roseline’s third Olympic Games. She currently holds gold, bronze and silver medals from various competitions including the Olympic Games, the Pan Am Games, and World Championships.
• Meaghan Benfeito, 10m Synchronized Diving: Diving partner of Roseline Filion, Meaghan began diving at age seven.  In her second Olympic Games at London 2012, the pair won bronze. She has won multiple medals at other multi-sport games, including the 2011 Pan Am Games where she won silver with Filion and bronze individually. In 2014, she was a double Commonwealth Games gold medallist in the 10m and 10m synchro events.
• Mark de Jonge, 200m Sprint Kayak: Mark has come a long way since learning to “just stay upright” in a kayak.  Earning a bronze medal at his Olympic debut in London 2012, Mark has proven himself to be a resilient and focused athlete. In 2015, he successfully defended his world championship gold medal, making him the first man to win back-to-back titles since 2003.
• Derek Drouin, High Jump: At his first Olympic Games in London 2012, Derek was part of a three-way tie for bronze after clearing 2.29m. It was Canada’s first Olympic high jump medal since 1976. In 2013, he won bronze at the 2013 IAAF World Championships, and in 2014, he became one of 12 men in history to jump the height of 2.40m, breaking his own Canadian record. This past summer, he won gold at the Pan Am Games, followed by another gold at the World Track and Field Championships.
• Ryan Cochrane, 400m and 1,500m Freestyle Swimming: Ryan is one of Canada’s most-decorated swimmers ever.  His six medals at the FINA World Championships are the most ever earned by a Canadian swimmer. He is also just the second person to reach the podium in the 800m and 1500m freestyle events at three straight Worlds, winning a total of four silver and two bronze. His Olympic history includes a bronze medal at the Beijing Olympic Games in 2008, and a silver medal at the London Olympic Games in 2012.
• Brooke Henderson, Golf: Brooke Henderson made history in September, 2014 when she became the first Canadian to be ranked number one in the Women’s World Amateur Rankings. With more than 50 amateur victories to her credit, she turned pro in December, 2014.  She then earned her first pro win at the 2015 Four Winds Invitational in June, becoming the third-youngest winner in Symetra Tour history. In December, 2015, she was named the Canadian Press Female Athlete of the Year, and is on track to represent Canada as golf makes it return to the Olympic Games in Rio.

“I know I speak for our retailers and associates nationwide when I say how proud I am to help Canadian athletes drive towards their Olympic dreams,” said Kevin Marcotte, Marketing Director, BMW Canada.  “The BMW Group and the Olympic Movement share many common values, which makes our partnership resonate with every one of us. Supporting the Canadian Olympic Team enables us to give back to our community in a unique and fulfilling way by supporting athletes from coast to coast. It is an honour and a pleasure to assist these six athletes in their quest for the podium.”

“BMW has been an outstanding partner of the Canadian Olympic Team and we are honoured to continue our partnership with them,” said Derek Kent, Chief Marketing Officer, Canadian Olympic Committee. “Both of our organizations strive for high-performance and we look forward to seeing Ryan, Meaghan, Roseline, Mark, Derek and Brooke, with BMW’s support, bring this shared value to life on the road to Rio.”

“I’ve appreciated BMW products for quite some time,” said Olympic bronze medallist Mark de Jonge.  “As an engineer, I really appreciate the innovation built into them.  Having BMW as a partner has inspired me to look at my paddle differently and helped me to think differently about how I approach my sport.”

“I’m so happy to have a partner like BMW,” said Roseline Filion, Olympic bronze medallist.  “Sponsorships help fuel the entire athlete.  From food to training to transportation, the support is very much appreciated.  My BMW X3 helps me get to all of my appointments and training and home to visit my parents.  It helps me live the slightly hectic life of an athlete in training a bit more easily.”

BMW Group Canada is proud to partner of the Canadian Olympic Team and will showcase Team BMW on bmw.ca. As National Partner and Official Vehicle of the Canadian Olympic Team, BMW’s partnership will provide athlete support and generate fundraising opportunities for the team.

TORONTO – In a year in which Brooke Henderson stole the show in Canadian golf, she can add two more honours to her trophy case.

The Golf Journalists Association of Canada (GJAC) is proud to announce Henderson, David Hearn, Corey Conners, and Maddie Szeryk are the 2015 Players of the Year as voted by GJAC members across the country. Henderson’s spectacular first season as a professional was also named the Canadian Golf Story of the Year.

“GJAC is thrilled to honour these wonderful golfers in 2015,” said Grant Fraser, GJAC President. “The accomplishments of the winners – and each of the nominees – show that Canadian golf is in very good hands.”

Henderson became the first Canadian to win on the LPGA Tour since Lorie Kane in 2001 after capturing the Cambia Portland Classic by eight shots. At 17 years, 11 months, and 6 days old, she was the third-youngest champion in LPGA Tour history and was granted LPGA Tour membership in August. The native of Smiths Falls, Ontario also defended her title at the 2015 PGA Women’s Championship of Canada and notched one victory (with five top-10’s in five events played) on the Symetra Tour. Henderson ended the year 17th on the Rolex Rankings – the official world ranking of female professional golfers.

Her choice as Female Professional of the Year was a unanimous decision.

Meanwhile, David Hearn – who’s run at the RBC Canadian Open was another nominee for Canadian Golf Story of the Year – was named Male Professional of the Year. Hearn is Canada’s highest-ranked male golfer, and nearly won twice on the PGA Tour in 2015. He held the 54-hole lead at the Canadian Open, and then lost in a playoff at The Greenbrier Classic. The 36-year-old finished 55th in the FedEx Cup standings and earned $1.8 million – his highest total ever as a professional.

Corey Conners was named the Male Amateur of the Year for the third year in a row in a tight vote with Blair Hamilton and Garrett Rank. After finishing as runner-up at the U.S. Amateur in 2014, Conners participated in The Masters where he played the first two rounds with Mike Weir. The 23-year-old finished as low amateur before announcing he would turn professional. He was ranked 21st on the Official World Amateur Golf Ranking prior to turning pro.

Maddie Szeryk was named Female Amateur of the Year after finishing first on Golf Canada’s National Women’s Order of Merit. The Golf Canada national team member is currently ranked no.38 (first in Canada) on the Official World Amateur Golf Ranking. The 19-year-old is set to graduate from Texas A&M in 2018, and in her first collegiate season, she was named the Southeastern Conference Freshman of the Year.

TORONTO – Red-eye flights, pre-tournament qualifiers and last-minute travel plans were often the norm for golfer Brooke Henderson in her first season as a professional.

At the start of the year, she hoped to post some decent results and use her rookie campaign as a learning experience. Henderson did much more than that in 2015 – she became the first Canadian to win on the LPGA Tour in more than a decade and rocketed into the top 20 in the world rankings.

Not bad for someone who just celebrated her 18th birthday a few months ago.

Henderson capped her impressive season Monday by winning the Bobbie Rosenfeld Award as The Canadian Press female athlete of the year. She picked up 21 votes (37 per cent) in the annual survey of editors and broadcasters from across the country.

“I’m hoping this is just the start of a pretty long career, and one where I can chase after some bigger dreams and goals that I’ve set for myself,” Henderson said. “Really I think that there are no limits and I think anything is possible. My 2015 year proves that it’s true _ that anything is possible.”

Soccer player Kadeisha Buchanan was well back in second place in the voting with 10 votes (17 per cent). Tennis player Eugenie Bouchard won the award the last two years.

Henderson is the first golfer to capture the honour since Lorie Kane in 2000. Kane was also the last Canadian to win on the Tour until Henderson blew away the field at the Cambia Portland Classic in August to end Canada’s 14-year victory drought.

The youngster from Smiths Falls, Ont., needed to play in a qualifier just to enter the tournament field that week. She showed she belonged by finishing with a whopping eight-shot victory.

“A couple days I was playing there and I was thinking back to when I would just kind of daydream when I was little,” she said. “I was looking at my putt on the green and I could see the hole and the ball and I could see the fans around the green. They were kind of blurred and it was just exactly how I pictured it when I was little. I was like, ‘Wow, you know what, this is my dream.”’

Henderson, who also posted fifth-place ties at two major events last season, was granted immediate LPGA Tour membership by commissioner Mike Whan after the win.

“The LPGA Tour win – that was really the pinnacle of the season,” she said. “It was when I was playing my best and I was able to secure my LPGA Tour card and get my first LPGA Tour victory. (The year) as a whole was a result of a lot of hard work and it was just something where everything came together and I thank God for that.

“It was just a miracle year really.”

Henderson will be able to play a full Tour schedule next year and make her plans well ahead of time. Gone are the days of needing sponsor invitations or travelling overnight to make it to the course in time for morning qualification rounds.

“I wanted to play against the best in the world,” she said. “Most of the times when I was doing that, I wasn’t a member and I didn’t really have anywhere else to play. I was trying to make my way onto the Tour and trying to make my mark. It was something that I knew I had to do and it was exciting to know that I could have a chance to do something amazing.”

Henderson finished the season ranked 18th in the world – a jump of over 200 positions from a year ago – with over US$100,000 in official LPGA earnings and more than $700,000 in combined earnings as a pro.

“Already a top-flight golfer at such a young age,” said Red Deer Advocate sports editor Greg Meachem. “Proved she can compete – and be successful – against the best of the best in a global sport.”

Canadian women’s team coach Tristan Mullally, who has worked with Henderson since she was 14, said she’s a remarkably steady ball striker with the accuracy to be consistent on different types of golf courses.

“When you combine those two, that makes for a pretty potent recipe,” Mullally said.

Henderson hopes to start strong early in the 2016 season with a goal of cracking the top 10 in the world rankings. She’s also a virtual lock to play for Canada when golf makes it return to the Olympic program at the Rio Games in August.

“I still have many years ahead of me and I’m working hard for 2016 and the years after that,” she said. “But this award for 2015 is definitely something I’m proud of and I’ll be very honoured to accept.”

TORONTO – Brooke Henderson had two dreams come true this year: she became a member of the LPGA Tour and won her first tournament at that level.

She’s setting her sights even higher in 2016.

Henderson hopes to continue her ascent on the top women’s professional golf circuit and also lead Canada to the podium when the sport makes its return to the Olympic program next summer in Rio.

She got a chance to learn more about the Olympic experience at this week’s Canadian Olympic Committee symposium at a downtown Toronto hotel. Watching promotional videos of fellow Canadians winning medals and hearing the national anthem has her counting down the days until the 2016 Games.

“Every time I watch those videos, I get goose bumps. My blood runs crazy,” Henderson said Thursday. “It’s an amazing opportunity that I have just to play in the Olympics and to play on the LPGA Tour.

“They’re both dreams that I’ve had since I was young and now this year is the first year that I can achieve both of those.”

Henderson, a former top-ranked amateur, showed this past season that she was the real deal. She finished third at the Swinging Skirts LPGA stop last April before picking up fifth-place ties at the Women’s PGA Championship and the U.S. Women’s Open.

Her statement performance came in August at the Cambia Portland Classic, when she blew away the field with a whopping eight-stroke victory.

Henderson was about three weeks shy of her 18th birthday at the time. She was granted immediate LPGA Tour membership by commissioner Mike Whan after the win.

The teenager from Smiths Falls, Ont., has since climbed to No. 18 on the Tour’s ranking list. Henderson is planning a full schedule in 2016 and plans to treat the Games like the sixth major of the season.

“The Olympics is a dream that I had as a little girl,” she said. “I didn’t know what sport or what I was going to do or how I was going to get there. But I wanted to be in the Olympics and I wanted to share the same passion as all these other athletes that I watched on TV in the Winter and Summer Games.

“So Rio is in August, it’s going to be a long summer and it’s going to be a long season. But it’s definitely something that I want to peak for and I want to represent Canada as best as I can.”

Sixty golfers will compete in the four-round women’s stroke play competition at the Aug. 5-21 Games. Golf was last played at the Olympics in 1904.

“I’ve won on the LPGA Tour, I’ve competed against the best in the world, I know (Olympic success) is possible,” Henderson said. “Hopefully if I can move my ranking up a little bit more, I’ll be seen as a contender in Rio.”

Official player nominations aren’t expected to be made until July, but Henderson is a virtual lock for the Canadian team. She’s looking forward to the pressure and the high expectations.

“It’s fun to have because you’re expected to do great things,” she said. “I’m really excited to go and represent my country and be the best that I can be.”

EVIAN-LES-BAINS, France – With two holes left to play in her bid to become the youngest LPGA major champion at the Evian Championship, Lydia Ko stayed as relaxed and composed as a seasoned veteran. The South Korean-born New Zealander birdied both on the shores of Lake Geneva to reach a new landmark in her short but already storied career.

A flawless final-round display – featuring spectacular approaches and clinical putts among her eight birdies – made Ko the youngest major champion in LPGA Tour history on Sunday. She closed with an 8-under 63 for a six-stroke victory over Lexi Thompson at the final major of the season.

It was the best round of this year’s tournament, a score that helped her to a ninth career victory with a 16-under total of 268.

“To say that I’m the youngest in history for now, it’s so cool,” Ko said. “To finish with two birdies, finish on the last 72nd hole, with a birdie, it doesn’t happen often, so it’s definitely one of the top rounds of my whole entire life, and I’m sure it will be in my career.”

Ko is 18 years, 4 months and 20 days old. She eclipsed the previous record set by American Morgan Pressel, who was 18 years, 10 months and nine days old when she won the 2007 Kraft Nabisco Championship.

While Ko thrived under pressure, Mi Hyang Lee crumbled. The South Korean had an overnight lead of one stroke over Thompson but finished tied for fourth place, nine back. Chinese Shanshan Feng was third with an 8-under total of 276.

Ko has been breaking records even before she turned professional two years ago.

Tipped as a future great of the game, she was already the youngest winner on the Tour after her win at the Canadian Pacific Women’s Open in 2012, and the youngest player of either gender to reach the No. 1 spot when she did it earlier this year.

“Everyone won’t be asking me when I’ll win my first major because it’s done,” said Ko, who was two shots off the pace heading into the final round.

On a damp but dry morning, she kept her cool when Thompson got off to a flying start.

Ko, Thompson and Lee were grouped together after organizers decided players would tee off on the first and 10th tees in threesomes, fearing expected bad weather would play havoc with the schedule. The elite trio started with a par on the first hole before Thompson set a tremendous early pace with four birdies in her first seven holes. The American converted a long putt for birdie on the par-3 second then played a three-hole stretch in 3 under from Nos. 5-7. She couldn’t stay bogey-free on the front nine, though, missing a putt from close range on the par-3 eighth.

“It’s kind of hard to beat somebody that shoots 63,” said Thompson. “She played amazing. She deserves it. She ball-struck the heck out of this golf course and putted it really well. You can’t get much better than that.”

Ko was one shot behind Thompson at the turn, with three birdies on Nos. 3, 7 and 9.

The Kiwi golfer hit a wonderful second shot on the par-4 11th that landed on the edge of the green and rolled to within 10 feet of the cup, bringing out a big smile on her face. Her next shot – a downhill birdie-putt – found the hole to draw level with Thompson at 12 under.

That shot signaled a swing in the momentum.

Ko came close to an eagle on No. 12 but her ball hit the flagpost and bounced, stopping within five feet of the hole. Ko made no mistake with her next putt and moved one shot clear at the top. She capped her day in style with consecutive birdies on Nos. 17 and 18 before celebrations started with some of her opponents spraying her with water on the course.

“I said before that my goal coming into today was to make par on 18, and that’s still not accomplished yet,” joked Ko, who had bogeyed the last hole on her three first rounds. “I’ll be back next year to do that.”

For Thompson, things took a turn for the worse on the par-3 14th. She landed her drive on a rough patch behind the green and a poor recovery shot left her fuming as she hit the grass twice with her club and settled for a double bogey that sealed her fate.

Lee had a big slip-up on the par-4 third, where she had her first double bogey of the week after misjudging her second shot into water behind the green. Back-to-back bogeys on the par-3 eighth and par-5 ninth continued to undo the good work put in during her three previous rounds.

Tied for third place two shots off the pace after the third round, Pressel had two birdies and six bogeys for a 4-under total of 280 that saw her drop to a tie for 11th place.

Ko had a chance to reclaim the top spot but top-ranked Inbee Park stayed out front after finishing tied for 8th with a 3-under 68 and 5-under total of 279.

Michelle Wie was tied for 16th after shooting a 1-under 70 for an overall 3-under 281.

Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont. posted five birdies en route to a 4-under 67 performance to finish T25. Hamilton, Ont., native Alena Sharp carded a final-round 78 and finished in a tie for 70th place.

EVIAN-LES-BAINS, France – Mi Hyang Lee retained the lead in difficult weather in the third round of the Evian Championship on Saturday, as teenager Lydia Ko remained in contention to become the youngest player to win a major.

Lee shot 1-under 70 for a 10-under total of 203 and a one-shot lead over Lexi Thompson, who charged back with fine putting and a 5-under 66 card.

Chasing her first major, Lee was paired with Morgan Pressel (71), and they went toe to toe until the par-4 18th hole, when the American double-bogeyed after landing her second shot in water.

They played their final six holes in rain, wind, and gloom.

Pressel shares third place with Ko, two shots off the pace. The 18-year-old Ko shot a 67 and is pursuing her last chance to become the youngest woman to clinch a major. If she wins on Sunday, Ko will surpass Pressel, who won the Kraft Nabisco Championship at 18 years, 10 months, 9 days back in 2007.

“Obviously, this is my last chance,” said Ko, about five months younger. “I’m just going to give myself a good chance tomorrow.”

Many still have a good chance on the foothills of the Alps, with only five shots separating the 11 best players heading into the final round.

Meanwhile, top-ranked Inbee Park, seeking a career Grand Slam, made four birdies but struggled on the back nine with three bogeys for a 70. She was on 2-under 211, eight shots off the pace, with Michelle Wie (70).

Wie sank a 25-foot putt on the par-5 9th for her first eagle of the tournament.

With more bad weather expected on Sunday, players will tee off on the first and 10th tees in groups of three for the final round, with Lee of South Korea, Thompson of the U.S., and Ko of New Zealand together in the final group.

Ko, who started four strokes off the lead, produced five birdies but bogeyed the 18th for the third consecutive day.

“It was not the easiest of up-and-downs on 18, but I have not played the 18th hole well this week,” she said.

Many players were caught off guard by the bad weather, with Pressel getting some help from a TV channel employee who ran to her locker to bring her a rain jacket.

“Very thankful to the guy,” Pressel said.

Thompson, who mixed six birdies with a sole bogey on the par-3 16th, relied on her dad to bring her an umbrella with four holes to play.

The round began under blue skies, and Pressel immediately applied pressure on Lee with a birdie on the par-4 first hole. Lee could not match her, conceding two consecutive bogeys on the course looking over Lake Geneva.

Lee had another bogey on the par-3 14th but emerged from the round with four birdies and a superb par-putt on her final hole.

Pressel put herself in trouble on the par-5 9th, driving her ball onto a rough patch of grass below the fairway. She missed her putt from the edge of the green to drop her first shot. She said her double bogey on the final hole was probably due to a bad choice of club, a 4 hybrid, for her second shot that found the water.

“It’s just the grass was so wet that it did not get up in the air,” she said. “I thought I could hit the shot.”

Amy Yang was tied for fifth place, three shots behind Lee, after a flying start with an eagle on the first hole, which she bogeyed in the second round.

A broad smile illuminated the South Korean’s face when she realized her shot landed straight in the hole. The U.S. Open runner-up high-fived her caddie and continued her surge back among the top five. She sank a birdie-putt on No. 3, and picked up one more shot with a 15-footer on the par-4 4th. But Yang also bogeyed three holes and finished with a 68.

Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., finished the day at 1-over 72 to move into a tie for 41st place. Hamilton, Ont., product Alena Sharp posted a 75 and is tied for 51st.

EVIAN-LES-BAINS, France – What she lacks in experience, the 22-year-old Mi Hyang Lee makes up for with advice from her 69-year-old caddie.

The South Korean took the sole lead at the Evian Championship after a 4-under 67 Friday in the second round. With a 9-under total of 133, Lee heads into the weekend of the final major of the season with a one-shot lead over American Morgan Pressel.

While Pressel has already won a major, Lee is chasing her first one. She has showed that she can hold her nerve when it really matters – claiming her only victory on the U.S. LPGA Tour last year at the Mizuno Classic after coming out on top of a three-way playoff with a birdie on the fifth extra hole.

To add an extra dose of knowledge to her game, she recently hired veteran caddie Mike Harig. They started working together in July.

“I’m a young player and he’s pretty old, 69 years old, the oldest caddie on the tour,” Lee said. “He has a lot of experience, so that’s a lot of help for me.”

Pressel gave herself a chance of a second major win after making eight birdies.

Meanwhile, top-ranked Inbee Park, seeking a career Grand Slam, made six birdies but struggled on the back nine with two bogeys and a double bogey on the par-4 No. 11. She is tied for 20th, eight shots off the pace, with two Americans – Michelle Wie and Beth Allen. Wie hit a second-round 66 after an opening 75.

Pressel carded a 6-under 65, the lowest score so far at the tournament. She was tied for 12th when starting the day in cold and rainy conditions and bogeyed twice in her five first holes, before thriving once the sun broke through.

“I didn’t let that (start) bother me, and just kept trying to plug along and make more birdies, and was able to do so,” said Pressel, after her best round in 10 Evian appearances.

On a course she knows inside out, the 27-year-old Pressel is oozing with confidence.

“This is my 10th year but only the third year on this new golf course, but it’s still similar,” she said.

Pressel’s U.S. Solheim Cup teammate, Lexi Thompson, who shared the lead with Lee at 5 under after the opening round, is now trailing the South Korean by five shots after shooting a 1-over 72.

Holding a share of the first-round lead for the first time, Lee picked up where she left off on Thursday night. Back on the course Friday at 8:18 am, she birdied the par-4 1st hole and added three more before the turn.

She birdied the par-5 13th but fluffed an easy birdie putt on the par-3 16th after landing a very long iron three feet from the hole, and stumbled with a bogey on the par-4 18th.

Nicole Broch Larsen, fresh from winning the Helsingborg Open on the European Tour, had no problem with the early showers on the shores of Lake Geneva, starting her second round with two birdies in her four first holes.

Playing in the Evian Championship for the first time, she hit three more birdies on her back nine to make up for a bogey on the par-3 5th. She carded a 67 that lifted her to third place on the leaderboard, two shots behind Lee.

“I struggled a little bit with my driver on the back nine but I kept it together, kept fighting. I had an eagle chance on 13, 5-meter putt, but it just lipped out. I finished with a birdie so it was nice,” the Dane said.

Meanwhile, Karrie Webb carded 74 after opening with 71 to share 45th place on 3 over. Webb, who is attempting to win her sixth different major, did not hide her frustration, biting her fingers and slamming the grass with her clubs at least twice on the undulating Evian course.

China’s Shanshan Feng had another 68 and moved fourth at 6-under, with Lydia Ko two shots adrift of her and tied for fifth. The 18-year-old Ko shot a 69 and is pursuing her last chance to become the youngest woman to clinch a major. If she wins this week she will surpass Pressel, who won the Kraft Nabisco Championship at 18 years, 10 months, 9 days.

Hamilton, Ont., native Alena Sharp posted a second round of 3-under 68 to move into a tie for 32nd place. A day following her 18th birthday, fellow Ontarian Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls carded a 74 and sits T37.

EVIAN-LES-BAINS, France – Lexi Thompson played a four-hole stretch in 5 under and finished with a 5-under 66 on Thursday in the Evian Championship for a share of the lead with Mi Hyang Lee.

The 20-year-old Thompson began her run with a birdie on the par-4 12th, hit a 7-iron to 20 feet to set up an eagle on the par-5 13th, and added birdies on the par-3 14th and par-5 15th. She parred the final 12 holes in her bogey-free morning round in the major championship.

“It feels great to have a stretch of holes like that,” Thompson said. “But you just have to take one shot at a time and not get ahead of yourself because, I mean, shots can get away from you out here. If you hit it in the rough, the rough’s pretty thick.”

Thompson won the Kraft Nabisco last year for her first major title, and took the Meijer Classic in July for her fifth career title. She has three top-10 finishes in her last five starts, and will play in the Solheim Cup matches next week in Germany against Europe.

“Obviously, Solheim Cup was my No. 1 goal to be on that team to represent my country, so I’m very happy to be going to Germany next week,” Thompson said. “But you have to focus on this week being the last major here at the Evian Championship.”

Lee, from South Korea, had seven birdies and two bogeys at the picturesque resort above Lake Geneva.

Gerina Piller, Thompson’s U.S. Solheim Cup teammate, was a stroke back along with South Korea’s Eun-Hee Ji and Thailand’s Pornanong Phatlum.

Piller had eight birdies and four bogeys.

“There are just some spots on this course you cannot get in,” Piller said.

Karrie Webb had a 71, and top-ranked Inbee Park opened with a 72.

Webb is attempting to win her sixth different major championship, and Park is trying to join Webb with a record five. Park has two major victories this year – the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship and Ricoh Women’s British Open – and four overall titles. Webb and Park won the event before it became a major, Webb in 2006 and Park in 2012.

Second-ranked Lydia Ko, playing alongside Park and No. 3 Stacy Lewis, had a 69.

The New Zealander was impressed with Thompson’s round.

“I saw her score. I kind of realized it was going pretty low, especially at the start of the round and she was only a couple of groups in front of us,” Ko said. “I was on the par-3 14th or something, and that was only her fifth hole of the day. And I saw her to my left, and it showed her scorecard. I saw some birdies, some eagles, so that’s a pretty consistent scorecard there.”

Lewis shot a 73.

Defending champion South Korea’s Hyo Joo Kim also had a 73. Last year, she opened with a major-record 61 and went on to beat Webb by a stroke.

Michelle Wie shot a 75. Sporting multicolored hair and high-top pink shoes, she’s fighting a slow-healing left ankle injury.

On her 18th birthday, Smiths Falls, Ont., native Brooke Henderson tallied two birdies across the back nine to finish with a share of 17th at 1-under 70. Alena Sharp of Hamilton, Ont., shot a first-round 4-over 75 and sits T80.

PRATTVILLE, Ala. – Kris Tamulis won the Yokohama Tire LPGA Classic on Sunday for her first LPGA Tour title.

Tamulis played 29 holes Sunday in the twice-delayed tournament, the 186th of her LPGA Tour career. She finished a third-round 67 and closed with a 65 to beat Yani Tseng and Austin Ernst by a stroke.

The 34-year-old former Florida State player had a 17-under 271 total on The Senator Course and didn’t show the strain of being in contention with so little margin for error.

“It was amazing,” Tamulis said. “I was definitely not expecting this today.”

Tseng had rounds of 71 and 67, and Ernst shot 68-69 with the weather clearing up after delays totaling nearly 7 hours the previous two days. Both parred the final hole with a chance to force a playoff.

Tamulis birdied four of the first six holes in the final round before finally making her only bogey of the last three rounds. She hadn’t finished better than fourth on the tour.

Tamulis was all smiles at the end. She made a short birdie putt on the 17th hole, cheerfully telling two fans “28 of 29 completed today.” Then, a long birdie putt, hit seemingly perfectly on line, stopped inches shy of the final hole. Still smiling, she told her caddie the ball needed just “a little more oomph,” then chatted with the teenager carrying the score placard.

She had about 45 minutes to sweat it out. Tseng and Ernst both had makeable birdie putts on 18, on opposite sides of the pin. Ernst’s attempt went to the left. Tseng came closer, falling to her knees when her putt lipped out.

“When they both missed I was just shocked,” said Tamulis, who chatted with volunteers and had a snack in air-conditioned comfort instead of watching or practicing for a possible playoff. A friend kept her updated.

Tamulis had been fourth last year in Prattville and earlier this year at the Meijer LPGA Classic. She didn’t make the cut at last week’s Canadian Pacific Women’s Open after posting two 73 rounds. Her rounds steadily improved from 71 to 68 to 67 and finally 65.

It was her first win since Florida State but she had a pair of runners-up finishes in 2004 on the Symetra Tour.

Tamulis said she was trying to ignore the leaderboard, focusing instead on a countdown from 29 holes.

“The last time I actually saw where it was at was by accident on No. 9,” she said. “Then I felt really good and I was just out there trying to have a good time. My goal was to come in here have a decent week, play well and secure my spots in Asia.”

She also wanted to ensure she made the field in her hometown of Naples, Florida, for the season finale, the CME Group Tour Championship. Her expression matched the smiley face magnet affixed to her visor, given to her two years ago by an elderly scorekeeper in Phoenix.

Tseng is a 26-year-old Taiwanese player who ranked No. 1 for 109 weeks early in her career. She came close to snapping an 85-event winless streak dating to the 2012 Kia Classic, making a long birdie putt on No. 16.

This was Tseng’s second runner-up finish of the year.

Ernst was seeking her second tour win. Sydnee Michaels finished with a 67, finishing in a fourth-place tie with 2011 winner Lexi Thompson. Thompson closed with a 69 and was in the 60s all four rounds.

Hamilton, Ont., native Alena Sharp shot her best round of the competition, a 5-under 67, to reach 9-under and 12th place. Fellow Ontarian Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls tallied four birdies en route to a 3-under 69 and a T13 finish.